Panda Brothers: Part III
by Animation Universe 2005
Summary: The third installment of 'Panda Brothers' and Okinawa and Musaki start to get each other more a little bit and understand each other's worlds and on top of that, the Jade Palace masters get to know more about Oak Sung and most of Musaki's relatives. Hope ya enjoy!
1. Skills Test

And here it is...the first chapter of the third installment of Panda Brothers. Believe me when I say there's more to Okinawa and Musaki as you think!

* * *

Panda Brothers III

by: Terrell James

Chapter 1: Skills Test

At the backyard of Azuko's house, Okinawa takes Musaki, Arizona and Po to his backyard gym, in which both Po and Arizona were mesmerized by the looks of it and they said, "Whoa..."

"Two and a half months of working on this backyard gym was definitely worth it, so that I can bring my MMA work at home if need to. But I also have to work at my own pace, so it's used for one-on-one sessions for the kids." Okinawa said.

"Whoa...you're a busy guy, aren't ya?" Po asked.

"Mm-hmm. At work, volunteering at the MMA gym, training, helping out with my dad...things like that." Okinawa replied.

All three stepped into the backyard gym and Okinawa was standing there on the center and he said to them, "Are you guys ready for a little test run? You don't have to worry about anyone watching by because it's a very private forest."

They were eager to give it a shot and Okinawa asked who would go first and Arizona was the first one to step in and say that he's up for the challenge and steps foot into the mat and looks at Okinawa in the eye like he's ready. They both glared at each other and Okinawa immediately runs towards him and slams the wolf down and elbows him in the neck, but Arizona grabs him by the hand and flipped him down to the ground.

Musaki made a very speechless gasp while Po winced at the impact it hit and it blew both of their minds away and that's when Musaki knew that Okinawa means serious business, yet he was pulling for Arizona. Arizona grunts as he got up and looked at Okinawa in the eye with a serious look on his face and he said, "Impressive."

Arizona then runs towards Okinawa, grabs him by the hand and flips him down hard, punches and kicks him directly and trips his foot, but Okinawa knew when to keep going as he went forward and knocked him down on his leg and kicks him straight in the stomach. As Arizona felt the growing pain on his stomach, he held it back and just kept on fighting him and slams him down and keeps punching, kicking and thrashing him down as much as he can go.

Both Okinawa and Arizona became unmatched with their fighting skills that it's undeniable and Po started to get really nervous for either one of them while Musaki is just holding his breath as to who will emerge as victorious through the entire battle and so far, the backyard gym is the best way to start off.

After only 7 minutes of sparring, Okinawa and Arizona panted heavily and they looked at each other in the eye and Okinawa exhaled deeply and said, "You got some awesome skills, man."

"Yeah, you too." Arizona agreed.

After that, Musaki went up next to spar with his big brother and he couldn't be any more stoked up about this and as they started, Musaki kicked it off with a strong beginning with his kung-fu moves on Okinawa and went ahead with every single move he could muster up and went in full throttle mode as his fast moves and elemental beings exploded in and Okinawa dodged these moves rapidly and Musaki was surprised that he can actually do that.

Okinawa chuckled softly and went after Musaki very quickly and kicked him upside the stomach and threw him down, but Musaki landed on his feet and kept on standing and he continued sparring Okinawa down and both fighting styles were really amazing and unstoppable like yin and yang.

Soon after the sparring session, Musaki chuckled softly and he said, "Good fighting, bro."

"Yours too." Okinawa agreed, panting.

After Musaki's turn, all that's left is Po and Okinawa coaxed him by coming to the mat to spar with him and Po was a little reluctant to do so, but he knows that he couldn't let down a big fan so he got in the mat and he asked, "So...what happens?"

Okinawa quickly went in and flipped Po up, down and all around and slammed him down to the ground wih Po groaning in pain and that amused Arizona and Musaki the most to watch Po fall and Okinawa replied, "This happens."

"Ooh...I think you hit my panda pee pee." Po said, in a squeaky voice.

Po gets himself up and starts sparring with Okinawa and he dodged every kick, punch and slamming move he could do and Po ducked down multiple times and attacked Okinawa harder and just as Okinawa was about to knock him down, Po used his big belly to slam him down to the floor and that was really surprising to know that in the same species, they'd take down each other with the usage of their combined body weight.

Po quickly comes after Okinawa and attempts to knock him down, but Okinawa beat him to it and he slams him down and kicks him in the shin and twirls himself around and knocks him down hard. Po couldn't let this happen and he went forward and slammed, kicked, and threw down Okinawa on the ground harder and he said, "Yeah! Who's your panda now?"

Okinaw grunts heavily and he was really amazed with Po's fighting skills and he was impressed at the same time and he said, "I think it's pretty clear why Oogway chose him as the Dragon Warrior."

That sounded like a big compliment to Po as to what Okinawa meant by that and he said, "Thanks, man."

"Well...all in all, I give this battle a 10." Musaki said.

"I give it a 10.5." Arizona added.

"Sweet." both Okinawa and Po said, in unison.

* * *

Coming up...it's someone's birthday! And it's not Okinawa and Musaki!


	2. Birthday Excitement

So I mentioned earlier who's birthday they're gonna throw for...well, it's Liu Shang's!

* * *

Chapter 2: Birthday Excitement

As Po, Musaki and Arizona went back to the village, they spotted Taji and Shao walking towards one of the store corners and Musaki was instantly familiar with that location because that's where Liu Shang always hangs around and he caught up with them to see what they're up to and as they went inside, Shao spotted Musaki coming by and he waved his paw to make sure that he's there.

"Hey, Saki and crew!" Shao exclaimed.

Musaki, Arizona and Po came to where Taji and Shao were and Musaki said, "Hey, guys. Saw you come inside here and wanted to see what's going on."

"Dude, we're getting a few items for Liu Shang's 15th birthday." Shao replied.

He remembered Liu's birthday was coming and he was instantly excited for it and he said, "Cool! I think we should get him a gift."

"Duh...Liu loves comic books and headbands. That's why we came here because we knew how much Liu gets his favorite stuff here, so we thought that we could find a few items here." Taji added.

"Is there anything we can help?" asked Arizona.

"Hey, no worries. We got it all under control...although we do need Saki's help when it comes to clothes and comics." Taji stated.

Po clears his throat for a second to interfere and said, "Excuse me...I may help with the comics. I've always kept stacks of comic books when I was a kid, so whatever help you need, count on the Dragon Warrior."

"All righty then." Shao added.

Arizona nods his head at that and he said to Musaki, "I'll meet you back at your grandpa's. I gotta check on Max."

"All right. Later, Zo." Musaki said.

After Arizona left, Musaki, Po, Shao and Taji spent most of the morning to get a couple of comic books and clothes for Liu Shang's birthday and they got a whole lot of gifts from that store and after they paid for the stuff, they went out of the store and headed towards parts of the Valley. Musaki asked Taji, "Where's the birthday lion?"

"Liu's at the MMA gym, doing some one-on-one training with Okinawa. By the way, he's starting to grow a little mane." Taji stated.

"How little is the guy's name?" asked Po.

"Well..it's a teenage mane. It's not covering up the head yet, you know. But I think Liu is really excited about turning 15. He's always excited about almost everything that goes on and now he's into music and art." Taji replied.

"Really?" asked Po.

"Pretty much. But more than anything, he likes comic books and he likes to draw his own. You know, when you get a chance to visit, you have got to see some of his original comic work. It's super awesome." Taji said.

"I'll probably see it with my own eyes." Musaki said, excitedly.

"Me too. Maybe he should draw in a girl with huge breasts and a slim body with a see-through warrior outfit." Shao said, in a sly voice.

Musaki groans at that particular suggestion and Taji completely didn't want that image in his head and said, "Are you trying to be a pervert, Shao?"

"Uh...no. I'm just saying if I were to draw it for him." Shao responded.

Po looked at Shao and he said, "Man, if I saw that drawing for the first time, I would definitely..."

Musaki placed his finger on Po's mouth to stop where he's at and said, "Don't even finish. If I hear it, you'll only fill my brain with disgusting thoughts."

"Sorry." Po said, with a sheepish chuckle.

* * *

Stay tuned to see more of this!


	3. Feelings for the New Cubs

We now focus on Mako and Reiko and the examples of what it'll be like being a new mom once again and with Mako by her side.

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Chapter 3: Feelings of the New Cubs

Later that morning, Reiko walks around the house and she sees Kuriyuka, Mako, Oak Sung and Zeke sitting around the table, enjoying some fruits and talking to each other and soon enough, Mako sees her coming in and he gets up and gives his wife a kiss on the cheek and said, "How are you feeling, my sweet?"

"I'm doing fine, Mako." Reiko said, sweetly.

Kuriyuka was really happy that Reiko's gonna be a mother and she said, "I'm really excited to see our new grandchildren."

"Yeah, me too. I'm just want to give birth any minute now. It's not easy getting through the day when you're pregnant." Reiko said, sitting down.

Zeke figured that this conversation wouldn't suit well for him and he said, "I'm gonna go and find Musaki and see where he is and go out and find some birthday gifts for Liu Shang."

"All righty, dear." Kuriyuka said, sweetly.

Zeke gives his grandmother a kiss as soon as he walks out of the door and Mako sits next to her and said, "Rei, I know that it's been difficult for you these past couple of months, but we have to remain positive and just be hopeful because it won't be long until these little cubs will be born and it'll be the most happiest day of our lives."

"Listen to your husband, Reiko. At the end of the day, you'll come to realize that it's worth waiting all this time for these little bundles of joy to brighten up your life." Oak added.

Just then, Rango comes in with Zacharias and from the looks of Reiko, she seemed concerned about her youngest as she heard him cry and Reiko asked, "Kango, what happened?"

"Zacharias got a cut on his finger." Kango said, holding him.

Zacharias sniffled and whimpered a little as he felt the pain from his finger and said, "Owie..."

"Kango, there's some shaolin wraps on the counter. Go get it for me, please." Oak said.

Kango did as he was told and he found the shaolin wraps from the counter and gives it to Oak and Zacharias said, in a whimpered tone, "I want mommy to do it."

Reiko looks at her youngest baby and she said, "Mommy's here, sweetie. You're gonna be okay."

Kuriyuka brought in some tweezers to get that little sliver out of his finger and Zacharias was kinda afraid that it'll hurt more and Reiko held his hand tightly to ensure him that it'll be over soon and as she held on, Zacharias only looked at his mother as Kuiryika pulled out the sliver from his finger and after that, Kango wrapped the cut around with those shaolin wraps and after that, Zacharias looked at his finger and saw that it's all wrapped up.

"That better, little one?" asked Oak Sung.

"Uh-huh." Zacharias answered.

After that, Reiko kissed the little boo-boo and Zacharias hugged her tightly as a token of appreciation and he said, "Thank you, mommy."

"You're welcome, Zach-y. I love you." Reiko said, gently.

"I love you, mommy." Zacharias added.

Kango chuckled softly as he carried Zacharias and he said, "No harm done, little guy."

Soon after, they left the room and went back outside and Oak turned to Reiko and said, "And I am positive that you and Mako will be good parents."

Mako felt like those words will be taken to consideration and he did create something precious with Reiko and that he will most likely take good care of them and rely on each other for team effort. Reiko asked them, "You think so?"

"Oh, I believe so. No kids will be loved more than you two." Oak added.

Mako slowly rubbed Reiko's belly for support and it showed how much unconditional love that they'll give to those cubs as soon as they're born and Reiko really felt happy about this and she said, "I think I feel good about this."

"And we should be." Mako stated.

* * *

That little example confirms that everything will go smoothly. Stick around for more!


	4. Meeting Willow

And we meet Okinawa's soon-to-be girlfriend.

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Chapter 4: Meeting Willow

Later that morning

Okinawa was doing some of his early morning training at the MMA gym before all of the other students come by and he was punching and kicking this punching bag as hard as he goes, staying absolutely focused and fueled by the sparring session back at the backyard with Arizona, Po and Musaki helps out even more.

He was unaware that a female panda was walking down the steps, looking at Okinawa doing some practicing and she was instantly drawn by his little visible muscles on his chest and she was definitely amazed by how he's keeping himself in shape and how she wished that was his love instead of Zora. Okinawa grunts harder as he kept punching and kicking and then did some flips and turns to go along with it and after one final punch, he took a deep breath and panted heavily.

"Good exercise to kick off the morning." Okinawa said, breathless.

"I'll say."

Okinawa got started by a feminine voice behind him and when he turned around, he sees the same girl he's got a crush on when he was younger and he said, "Willow?"

"Hi, Okinawa." Willow said, in a shy voice.

"What are you doing here?" asked Okinawa.

Willow sighed heavily and she comes to Okinawa and said, "I've been in hiding in this gym since last night...to avoid Zora. I just wanted to have the chance to see you because for some reason, you're all I think about."

Okinawa was surprised to hear that coming from her and didn't expect to be thought of by Willow and he asked, "Really?"

"Yes. If you don't feel the same, I understand. I probably would've been better off being beaten and burned by Zora." Willow added.

That 'burned' part alarmed Okinawa the most and asked, "Burned?"

"Yes. Zora would burn me with a torch if I make him mad for some reason. Just the other night, I was gonna leave, but he assumed that I was leaving him behind. And he had the audacity to grab me and drag me out to throw me out of the window unless I told him I can stay. But I did leave the house and hid in the gym because that's the last place Zora would go." Willow added.

Okinawa could not believe that this lion would do something like this to a beautiful girl like her and the thought of it made him feel really sorrowful for Willow and the scars and burns on her face exposes it and he blinks his eyes twice and Willow asked, "Why did he have me? What have I done to make him feel this way?"

The quickest thing for Okinawa to do was just hug her and to let her know she's not alone and once Willow felt the warm embrace from him, she allowed him to hold her and hugged him back as well and started crying on his shoulder and he said, "You don't have to put up with someone like him."

"I don't know what I'm gonna do. He always tells me what to do, what to wear, what to eat and constantly asks where I've been. I can't even see my family without being told not to." Willow said.

"Willow...you have to turn to someone you can trust and who will have your back." Okinawa said.

"But who can I trust?" asked Willow, tears coming out of her face.

"You can trust me. Or you can come to my grandfather. And my adopted father. Just know that I'm here for you." Okinawa said.

Hearing all of that made Willow feel more secure and safe and she knew that she found someone like Okinawa to turn to and she said, "Thank you, Okinawa. You've always been one to give and be selfless. You haven't changed a bit...except for your muscles."

Okinawa chuckled nervously when she mentioned the muscles and said, "Thanks, I guess."

"Oop...were we interrupting something?"

Okinawa and Willow turns around and sees Musaki, Zeke and most of Okinawa's friends behind them and Okinawa sighed heavily and said, "No privacy whatsoever."

Musaki comes to both of them and took one look at Willow and he said, "So...you must be Willow. I'm Musaki, Okinawa's little brother."

"Just found out I have one, actually." Okinawa corrected.

Willow shook his hand and said, "Nice to meet you."

"And I see you remember Zeke, Sora, Aang, Hokkaido, Trey, Seung-Hui, Zuko, Liu and Sokka." Okinawa said.

"Hi, guys." Willow said.

"Hey, Willow." everyone said.

"Have you finally ditched that loose cannon yet?" asked Trey.

Willow sighed at this and didn't want to hear his name and Okinawa glared at Trey for asking that question and he immediately said, "Sorry."

"Don't worry, Willow. We'll figure something out." Okinawa added.

* * *

You'll meet this Zora guy later in the story!


	5. Retrospect of Oak Sung

And this is how the Furious Five get to know more about Oak Sung.

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Chapter 5: Retrospect of Oak Sung

Back at the house

Most of the Five were having breakfast with Oak Sung and Kuriyuka and as they were sitting down, most of them were wondering where Po is and Crane asked, "Anyone saw Po? He's missing breakfast."

"That is sorta weird that Po wouldn't show up for breakfast, considering it's his most favorite eating time...and lunch and dinner and snacks." Monkey added.

Kuriyuka clears her throat after hearing Monkey's remark and she said, "Show respect for the Dragon Warrior, young man."

"Well, it's true." Monkey argued.

Oak Sung chuckled softly at this and he said, "Do not worry about Po. I am certain he will turn up soon enough. He is probably out with Musaki and Okinawa."

"Doing what?" asked Mantis.

"Whatever's keeping them busy or just to take in some morning exercises." Oak replied.

"I don't think Po's done exercising in his life." Tigress stated.

Oak Sung chuckled at her remark and he said to her, "Well...there is a first time for everything."

The fact that Oak responded so well still confused Tigress because he's so laid-back and joyful all the time and it's something she's never been used to and as she continued eating, she couldn't help but wonder why does he always stay like this. Viper then asked Oak Sung, "So...how long have you and Kuriyuka have been together?"

"We have been together since we were teenagers. We first met at one of my father's army reunion gatherings and when I first saw Kuriyuka, she was the most beautiful woman you have even seen before and she was wearing this wonderful green and yellow kimono while I was sitting across the river, doing some meditating. And we met each other again while I was doing some exercise training at a nearby training hall." Oak explained.

"I think the muscles got me attracted to Oak instantly. At the time, he already had a girlfriend, Taemi. And I guess I could never get a chance to ask him out on a date, but I didn't mind at all because me and Taemi have been best friends for so long, same way as Oak and Hayate." Kuriyuka added.

"This is why romantic entanglements upsets one's chi and I always have nothing to do with it." Tigress added.

Kuriyuka disagreed with that statement and she said, "That is not true at all. Those who say or think that are between hopeless romantics and those that don't understand what love is really like unless you give it a chance. I am guilty of putting a defense system when I was younger, but when Oak came into my life...I let all of those crash down and took a chance. I always encourage young women to take a chance at love, even if you don't understand it. Avoiding it isn't gonna solve all of your problems."

"It's always worked for me." Tigress stated, proudly.

Oak Sung chimed in on this one and he said, "But in the end, you will grow old and alone if you do not have someone to spend the rest of your life with. And I feel sad for those who end up in that scenario."

"That's what I think her future's gonna be." Mantis chimed in.

Viper swiped Mantis on the head with her tail and she hissed at him softly, warning him to shut up and then she went on to say, "Please continue with the story."

"Okay...so, Taemi was falling for Hayate while she was dating Oak and when she decided that she's in love with Hayate, Oak was completely happy with it because he always puts others first before himself and I ended up dating Oak and we've been together for nearly 55 years now." Kuriyuka added.

Tigress choked on her water after she heard about how long they've been together and started coughing and then, spat out a hairball out of her mouth and onto the floor. Most of the Five were really in shock when they saw the actual hairball coming out of her, realizing that she has a big cat instinct. She then faced the older couple again and said, "That's impossible! 55 years?"

"Yes, it is possible. The first five years was when we were dating and the other 50 we spent in marriage." Oak agreed.

"Although, Oak was in the war and he was a kung-fu master at the time, but he has always remained the same person I fell for; a lot of compassion, humility and a sense of commitment. Which is also the reason why we stayed married; Oak's committed to me and I'm committed to him and we always understand each other. We've had some ups and downs, but we get through those obstacles that stands in our way." Kuriyuka added.

"And we've have three kids and many grandchildren. It was kinda hard for us when we lost Sakamoto, but his presence always comforts us and it's our duty to keep his spirit alive." Oak added.

All of the Five were amazed at how further they've come to stay together and even while life has challenges, they still remain strong as ever and never gave up hope and faith. Crane and Viper were the ones impressed with it and Viper said, "Wow...I'm quite speechless that you two stuck around so long."

"It takes commitment. Just like all you young whippersnappers are committed to kung-fu, you gotta be committed to marriage and love too." Oak added.

"That works for those who are foolish enough to think about love." Tigress added.

"People can think what they wanna think when it comes to love, but your objections and questioning it doesn't seem to bother us none." Oak stated.

Everything Oak said completely annoyed Tigress that he's taking them very lightly and expected him to say something rude to her back, but didn't happen. She grunts in frustration and said, "Can't you at least say something disrespectful to me back?"

"No need to. I have been raised better than that. My father have always said that if someone tries to get at you with their harsh words and cruel actions, you kill those with kindness and respect. Treat the ones who have hated you or tried to bring you down with love and compassion." Oak answered.

Tigress twitched her eye at that and with that, she abruptly left the table in deep frustration and just walked away from them and she didn't notice Po coming in and she shoved him down to the floor as she left and that left a very confused Po looking at her and he turned to the others and asked, "What's wrong with Tigress?"

Oak sighed at this and he responded, "It is not a big deal, Po."

"Where have you been, man? You missed breakfast." Monkey said.

"Oh, I already ate breakfast at Okinawa's house. Sorry I didn't tell you guys." Po said, sitting down.

Most of the Five were puzzled after hearing that Po already had breakfast with Okinawa and Mantis said, "You? Already had breakfast?"

"Yep. What are you guys having here?" asked Po, looking at the food.

Kuriyuka brought in a bowl and gave it to Po and she said, "There's plenty more to go around."

After Po received his bowl full of breakfast, he immediately ate them and Monkey chuckled at this and said, "Guess you're not full yet."

"Look who's talking...you still got nail polish on your fingers and toes." Po shot back.

Monkey groans at this and realized that it's still there and said, "I'm gonna get those girls back, one way or another."

* * *

My guess is that Tigress didn't take Oak Sung's easy-going personality really well because she's not really used to people who are like that, which kinda her feel a little more guilty for her outbursts. I kinda wanted to make both of their persona's clash a little bit at first and then have it in a mutual respect later. Stay tuned to see if Tigress can actually accept Oak Sung.


	6. Advice from Sakamoto

And now...Tigress receives some advice from Musaki's father about how she should've treated Oak Sung and how to deal with his laid-back personality.

* * *

Chapter 6: Advice from Sakamoto

Outside on the backyard, Tigress was taking her anger out on a tree, just punching it as further as she could go to clear out any frustration in her after arguing with Oak Sung and she was irritated that he would never be rude to her back even if she was rude to him and that just made her more angrier than ever as she kept punching the tree harder and harder and wanted to rip Oak Sung's face off so bad if she faces him again.

"Stupid old man...stupid kung-fu master...stupid Musaki...I oughta rip that old man's face off just for everything he said." Tigress muttered angrily.

And she was about to kick the tree down, but her foot got frozen for some reason and when she tried to break free, she noticed a hand under her ankle and when she turned around, there was Sakamoto standing there and he said, "I don't think it was very right of you to talk to my father like that."

Tigress growls at Sakamoto and said to him, "Well, what gives him the right to take everything lightly? Even after all the things I said to him. He's making me feel guilty and I don't like it."

"Listen...my dad means no harm to you. Just because I'm a spirit doesn't mean I can't see, hear or know everything that goes down in earth. Now...why do you think so harshly of my father?"

"I've been beaten by your father, he's always happy and smiling all the time; even when he lost you and he's been able to keep love alive for 55 years with Kuriyuka and on top of that, he got made fun of because of his half Japanese heritage when he was younger and he's all right with that!. Why couldn't he just fight them back or...or even gave up hope in the world?" asked Tigress, very frustrated.

As Sakamoto hears the reasons why, he blinked his eyes a few times and he asked, "And all of that bothers you because...?"

Tigress felt like he didn't get the message quickly and said, "I'm not used to taking life in stride when something unexpected happens and he takes it so well. How does he do it?!"

"Because he holds no grudges and resentment towards anyone or anything. The longer you hold on to it, the more you stay unhappy and it'll be difficult for you to move forward and enjoy life with the people you care about the most. You say love is weak, but I don't agree with that. Not believing in love and family is weak." Sakamoto explained.

Tigress felt like what Sakamoto just said was aimed directly at her and asked, "What does that supposed to mean?"

"Sometimes, we don't really appreciate how much of what we have and the people that's involved in our lives and we sometimes take them for granted. You never really know how much you have until it's gone. Like...like your passion for kung-fu. Now, don't get me wrong...you have deep passion for it and I applaud you for that. But when you start to get the urge to say that it's more important than family, it basically means that you do not care for anything or anyone but yourself and intentionally take the people you care about for granted." Sakamoto stated.

"I don't take them for granted." Tigress said, in shock.

"You may not realize it, but there will come a day when karma turns around and kicks you down. It is important to have physical strength in kung-fu, but it's way more important to rely on the people you care about and have them with you by your side. Don't let everything you're good at get in over your head because humility and compassion are the basis for kung-fu. I know I'm not a master, but I have my father's wisdom and just be grateful for the things you have. That's pretty much enough to fill your void." Sakamoto said.

"My void is just fine. I do have everything I need, but I just need more and more and more and more until I am satisfied." Tigress explained.

"How much more do you need?" asked Sakamoto.

"Someone to appreciate me." Tigress answered.

"You already have. You may not know it but you already have. You don't need anything else except for family. If you don't have them with you, none of the accomplishments and amazing accolades you do matters. In short, if you don't have family, you don't have life or anything. So you gotta take time to appreciate the things you have." Sakamoto stated.

Tigress just didn't seem to get this guy; here's Sakamoto who has seen her argue with Oak Sung, but never condemns her for it, but to settle this in a very well-mannered way and she sighed and said, "You're just like your father and your son. You never hold a grudge."

"It doesn't help and it's never healthy. I learned that from my dad and my grandfather. Why is that such a problem for you?" asked Sakamoto.

"I've never done that. I don't even know where to start. I'm always hard to be forgiven and harder to forgive." Tigress added.

"And if you continue being that way, it'll always be hard for you forgive. The gods can't forgive you until you forgive yourself." Sakamoto added.

Then, she remembered those same exact words that Oak Sung has said on the first day of the trip and it was like hearing someone helping her out in an unexpected way and he continued saying to her, "My father never rejects an apology and he treats those who were spiteful to him or his opponents with compassion and respect. I believe that he will accept your apology."

"How do you know that? He'll never forgive someone like me." Tigress said, with shame in her voice.

"Oh, that is not true. How many times has my father been nice to you?" asked Sakamoto.

"Multiple times." Tigress replied.

"And I believe this time is no different." Sakamoto said, with a smile.

Soon after, Sakamoto's spirit started to fade as he went back to the spirit world and Tigress was still unsure if she should go back and forgive Oak Sung, but she's gonna have to try because there's really no way out. She comes back in the house and saw Oak coming out and he said, "Oh, hello. I was just gonna do some mid-morning meditation. Did you want to join in?"

She couldn't believe that he was offering her to join him on his meditation and she would've easily walked away from him after what she did to anyone, but for some reason...she accepted it and sat down next to him and she said to him, "Oak...I want to apologize for all the things I've said. I should've managed my self-control a little more."

"Oh, do not worry about it right now. I know you're forgiven." Oak added.

"See, that's the problem I have. I forgive you and I expected to be yelled at, pushed away or shunned. But you do nothing but forgive me so easily. It just makes me feel more guilty than ever." Tigress replied.

"Now I don't believe that. You forgive because it is the right thing to do and that's all it takes. I didn't need a long explanation. That's good enough for me." Oak said, with a smile on his face.

Tigress blinked her eyes a few times and knowing that she's already forgiven makes her relieved to know that and she smiled at him and said, "Thank you."

"You are welcome." Oak replied.

They were unaware that Sakamoto's spirit witnessed it and he smiled at her as it progresses and he flies back to the spirit world, happier as ever.

* * *

Now that's a forgiving family. Next...we still focus on Okinawa.


	7. Zora

Here it is! It's Zora!

* * *

Chapter 7: Zora

As the day continued on, Willow was walking out of the MMA gym with Okinawa by her side and with the rest of Okinawa's buds coming out of there for a little break from teaching and training most of the morning and Sora said, "Man...you and Zuko really kicked my butt today, Oki."

"Well, hey...that was for all the times I lost to you, so consider that justice and payback." Okinawa retorted.

Sora scoffed and just shook it off and he said, "Can't complain though...because now you're arm in arm with the girl of your dreams."

Okinawa elbowed Sora after making that assumption and he said, through clenched teeth, "I'm just helping her out, okay?"

"Sure..." Sora said, in a sarcastic tone.

Willow started to feel really anxious as to what will happen if she gets caught by Zora and fears the worst when he sees her with Okinawa and she felt absolutely scared as to what his reaction will end up being and Okinawa noticed something's wrong with her and he said, "Willow, you okay?"

Willow eventually got back to reality and only look at Okinawa and she said, "Yeah, I'm okay?"

Okinawa knew that she wasn't okay because if she was, she wouldn't mask it with a forced smile and a laugh, but decided not to press the issue further and accepted the answer and he said, "All right."

Less than four minutes later...

"WILLOW?! WHERE THE (BLEEP) ARE YOU, YOU DUMB BITCH?!"

The violent scream heard across the valley started to string fear towards Willow's spine as she recognized that voice come from anywhere and Aang looked up and asked, "Who's doing all that cussing?"

"It's him." Willow replied, whimpering.

"Him who?" asked Sora.

Just then, in comes Zora; male lion, between age 21 or 22, has a dark brown mane, stands at 5'9, weighing only 200 pounds, brown-red eyes and wears a green vest and grey sweatpants with some silver wristbands and several tattoos on his shoulder and parts of his body; and he looked visibily ticked as he caught Willow with Okinawa and he lets out a deep growl and said to her, "You're supposed to be home with me, bitch! Do you know much I was worried about you and you wasted a perfectly good excuse to hang out with this loser?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa-ho-ho there, buddy! Watch it. Who you calling my friend a loser?" asked Zuko, a little heated.

"Obviously, I call the shots around here. Willow could do a lot better than that lazy-ass fat panda." Zora answered, still furious.

"Hey, Zora...that's uncalled for. And that's coming from a guy who's whole pack of lions sleep up to 30 hours a day." Sora retorted.

"Shut up, tiger cub." Zora said, in a cold tone.

Okinawa comes up to Zora and he said to her, "Look, haven't you done enough damage to her? Like when you gave her burns and bruises?"

Zora looked shocked to the fact that Okinawa already figured it out and he shifted his attention from Okinawa to Willow and asked, "You told him what I did?"

Willow was too scared to say anything because she would be faced with more beatings and he grabbed her by the face and asked, "DID YOU TELL HIM?!"

"Don't yell at her! besides, what right do you have to treat her this way?" asked Okinawa, getting a little heated.

"Listen, panda...I can treat her anyway I want to. She's my bitch. Why don't you find your own and quit bitching about what I do to Willow. She's my girlfriend and she can do whatever the (bleep) I tell her to do." Zora said, harshly.

Okinawa wasn't gonna hold back and he said to him, "You're not gonna get away with this."

Zora growls at him in response and he grabbed Willow by the hand and dragged her back to his place and just shoved her with every step he took and it made Okinawa feel really sad that she has to deal with a punk like him and he lets out a big sigh and said, "If I can teach this guy a lesson..."

"You can always kick his ass, Oki. You're like one of the best fighters of this Valley." Trey suggested.

"Listen, guys...sparring is one thing. Fighting an actual enemy is another. But I know that Willow doesn't deserve someone like him." Okinawa stated.

"Yeah, Zora's the actual bitch." Sora retorted.

Later on

Hope and Faith walked towards the Valley with Musaki to take a little breather and as they were walking, Musaki spotted Willow being shoved down multiple times and he saw this lion mistreating her and heard him say, "Get up, you weak, pathetic whore!"

Willow gets herself up, only to get shoved down by the lion again and that really didn't bode well for both Musaki and Faith, but mostly Faith because she does not like guys who mistreats girls like that and Musaki stepped in and said, "That is just class less."

"Excuse me? Do I know you?" asked Zora, in a prideful manner.

"No, but I know that girl right there." Musaki stated, looking at Willow.

Zora growled at Musaki and he assumed that he wanted her all to himself and he squeezed her arms and said, "Well, you can't have her. She's mine."

Faith didn't even know this guy and already she hates him for being such a jerk to that poor girl and she said, "That's worse than class less. It's just disrespectful."

"Look, this is strictly none of your business, so why don't you back off?" said Zora, ending up poking her nose.

Faith snarls at him fiercely and said, "Watch it, buddy. You do not know me."

"Well, you don't know me, bitch." Zora stated.

Hope could not tolerate having to hear his girlfriend get called a bitch and he said, "You can't talk to Faith like that!"

Then, Zora took one glare at Hope and Faith and figured there's a bi-species attraction and he said, "A bear and a cheetah? Together? Girl, you could do a lot better than that big bear. You need a real feline man...like me. I'm buff, muscular, good-looking and everything you want in a guy."

"Really? I don't see it." Musaki stated, looking at him.

"Yeah, me neither. All I see is a disgusting, egotistical lion who apparently doesn't know how to treat a girl right." Faith agreed.

Zora turned his attention to Hope and said, "Why don't you go eat some fish somewhere...or hibernate?"

"Very funny, dude. I'm the Phoenix Warrior and you have no right to treat me, my girlfriend, my friend and this poor, defenseless woman like that." Hope said, getting serious.

"And what are you gonna do about it?" Zora said, getting all up in the bear's face.

All Hope had to do is stomp his leg and poke his face out with his bear claws and Zora roared in pain after that and he said, "Do you know how much I tried to attract many girls with this face?"

"Oh, don't worry...I'll add something there." Faith said, with a smirk on her face and clawed his mane.

Getting his mane scratched definitely pushed him to the limit and he growled at Faith and said, "You've crossed the line, bitch."

"No...you just crossed it too." Faith added.

Willow wanted nothing more but to get out of this situation, but Zora's strong grip refused to do so and he said to her, "Let's go, Willow."

Willow didn't even want to go with Zora, but Zora grew impatient with her and said, "I SAID COME ON, BITCH! And I don't wanna hear a (bleep)ing word you say."

Then, Musaki realized something that it is the guy Okinawa mentioned and he said, "Okinawa's better off with her anyway."

Soon after, Faith got really worked up with that guy and he said, "Ooh, that guy had a lot of nerve. I mean...I can't believe he spat out the stereotypes of what a bear does."

Hope then chimed in on this and said, "But...I am a brown bear, you know."

"I know...but to me, you're more than that. I wouldn't trade you in for anyone else in the world." Faith said, cuddling up to Hope.

Hope kissed her on the nose and Musaki said to them, "Break it up, guys."

* * *

And that is the main youngest antagonist in the latter half of the story. Don't worry, you'll see plenty more of him!


	8. Okinawa's Getaway

Okinawa shows Musaki his getaway place when he sees the sunset or have time for himself.

* * *

Chapter 8: Okinawa's Getaway

A few hours later, Musaki met up with Okinawa to see what his favorite thinking spot is and Okinawa waves at Musaki and he waved back at him and as Musaki got close to him, Okinawa ends up giving him a noogie and said, "What took ya so long?"

"Not a lot, obviously." Musaki replied.

Okinawa chuckled softly and he hugged him tightly and said, "So...you ready to see my little peace spot?"

"Yep." Musaki replied.

With that, Okinawa led the way to his peaceful spot and it starts in the forest and as they were walking, Musaki said, "Ran into this lion today. I mean...can you believe that guy? He shows up and shoves Willow down, then he has the nerve to call out me, Faith and Hope in front of us. Man, if I were to see this guy again, I'd give him a huge what-for."

"You mean, Zora? Man, I would love to see you slug him." Okinawa added.

"You know that guy?" asked Musaki, raising his eyebrow.

"Yeah...he thinks he's the king of his world and he treats girls like crap and refer to them as his own when he doesn't really know how to treat them as well as a girl should be treated. I know Willow wouldn't dare to waste one minute with that king of beast slob." Okinawa answered.

Musaki never knew Okinawa had that much things to say about him and he said, "You love Willow, don't you?"

That was totally random for Musaki to ask such a question like that and he replied, "Uh...what makes you think that?"

"I can see it in your eyes." Musaki answered.

Okinawa was surprised that Musaki can read his mind like an open book and they've known each other for a few days straight and he said, "You're something special, man."

"Not really." Musaki replied.

Not long after, they made it to that particular peaceful spot and the sound of the waterfall started refreshing him already and Musaki looked around this place and he was amazed by the looks of it and he said, "Wow...so this is where you go?"

"Yeah, when I feel like I need to get away or to have some meditation. I spend most of my time and life here and just have my zen moment." Okinawa answered.

Musaki chuckled at that reaction and he follows him there and he sees it a little similar to their parents' homespot and it sorta made him feel like he's at home already and Okinawa asked, "What do you think?"

"It looks awesome to me. What sorts of things you do here?" asked Musaki.

"Meditate, do some of my training in peace or just to think and look at the sunset." Okinawa answered.

Musaki came closer to Okinawa and sat beside him and he notices a wooden bamboo flute on Okinawa's back sack and he asked, "You play the flute?"

"Oh, you've noticed? I made it myself a few years ago." Okinawa answered, showing him the flute.

Musaki showed Okinawa his own flute and that completely surprised Okinawa the most and he asked, "You play flute too?"

"Of course. Who wouldn't?" asked Musaki.

Both brothers played each flute together and they each played a tune, in which it turns into a song that they've made by themselves and both of them laughed with each other and gave each other a noogie and Okinawa showed Musaki more of his peaceful place and it's like the brothers are really enjoying each other...just as both Sakamoto and Bao-Yi knew they would.

* * *

Brotherly love, couldn't get any cooler than that? Stay tuned for more!


	9. Birthday Lion

And we now focus on Liu Shang's birthday!

* * *

Chapter 9: Birthday Lion

By the next day, Liu Shang was already up and as he headed downstairs, he scratched his butt and lets out a big yawn, just ready to start the day and as he got there...

"Happy birthday, Liu Shang!"

That fully awakened the teenage lion as he sees his adopted family surprise him and he lets out a smile and a laugh, fully being appreciative of that and he said, "Wow...you guys. This is so cool that you remember my birthday."

"Who wouldn't remember your birthday, Liu?" asked the wolf mother, smiling.

Taji smiled at him and came over to give Liu a high five and he asked, "How does it feel turning 15?"

"I don't know. It hasn't really hit me yet because it's so early. But I'm pretty sure it's really awesome." Liu answered.

"Well...we whipped up a good breakfast for your birthday; all of your favorites. Spicy tuna rolls, rice with milk, red chicken, dumplings and noodles and of course...your all time favorite; blueberry pancakes. Triple stacked, of course." the mother said, showing it to Liu.

Liu's mouth was starting to drool with all of his favorite breakfast items right in front of him and he said, "Oh...my gosh. Now this is a good morning breakfast I can savor!"

"Enjoy yourself, Liu." the mother added.

Liu immediately sat down and chowed down on some breakfast and as he ate them, his appetite couldn't get much more happier than that and Taji chuckled at this and said, "You must be really hungry."

"Dude, come on. You're talking about my favorite breakfast foods here. Why else wouldn't I be?" asked Liu.

"Good point. Hey, Liu...any plans tonight?" asked Taji.

Liu started thinking about what kinds of special things he got planned for tonight and he said, "Not quite sure. I'll head onto the gathering temple for a party."

"Oh, really? Well, so will we." Taji added.

"Aw, cool! Looks like we'll have a lot of fun together." Liu agreed.

Soon after that, Taji left the kitchen and went back with his family and he said to them in a hushed tone, "So...are we all going to the huge temple tonight?"

"Of course we are." Taji's father replied, with a whisper.

Taji chuckled at this and he looked at Liu and then looks back with his parents and said, "Liu is gonna be so surprised when we got what's planned for him."

Later that day

Liu thought it was best to take a little walk around the village and he noticed a couple of residents saying happy birthday to him and he was quick to be gracious and thankful about it and though it's been a year since he won the kung-fu tournament, Liu felt like he won something else too; having an entire Valley make him feel like he's part of a family.

While he was walking, he heard someone calling out for help when he saw someone's hat flying out of nowhere and Liu was quick to respond and he leaps up in the air and caught it just in time.

"Oh...over here!"

Liu looks up and he sees the person coming in to retrieve the hat and before he knew it, he sees this female black panther with silver eyes and she said, "Oh, thank you so much. I thought I would lose this thing forever."

Liu gives it back to her and he replied, "Aw, it was nothing."

"I think my hat and I don't seem to get along very well." the panther replied.

"Why so?" asked Liu.

"I don't know. I think it's a little too big for my head." the panther added.

Liu chuckled softly at that and he stated, "Maybe you should try another one. That way, you'll keep up with it."

The panther giggled at Liu's answer and she said, "You're funny."

Soon after, the panther walks with Liu around the forest and she asked the lion, "What are you doing here though?"

"Just talking a little walk and trying to come to terms about being 15." Liu answered.

"You're 15?" asked the panther.

"Yep. Today's my 15th birthday, by the way." Liu informed.

That really amazed the panther and she said to him, "Oh, well happy birthday...um..."

Soon, Liu realized that they were never formally introduced to each other and he said, "I'm Liu Shang. But you can just call me Liu."

"Liu Shang...the name sounds kinda cute for a lion. I'm Sapphire."

"Sapphire...that's a very beautiful name for a panther." Liu added.

Sapphire blushed in response to that and she said to him, "You from around here?"

"Yeah, I've been living in Shanghai Secluded Valley for a year now and it's really awesome living here." Liu added.

"With your parents?" asked Sapphire.

Liu sighed at that question and he looked at Sapphire and said, "Actually, me and my parents haven't really been on good terms lately. See, I left home so I can pursue an interest in kung-fu, signed up for a kung-fu tournament last year, participated, won the entire thing and my life changed completely. It really got to a point where I said to myself, 'this is where I'm meant to be'. I lived here ever since."

"Wow...you never went back?" asked Sapphire.

"Nah...because I already know that my parents would reject me if I came home, knowing that I went against their wishes not to participate. But...I couldn't pass up that opportunity at the time." Liu stated.

Sapphire was surprised that even though Liu left behind his parents to pursue something he's deeply passionate for and she's already admiring him and said, "I could never do that with my parents. But if it was something I would want to do, even if they're not that supportive, I probably would've followed my heart and done the same thing."

"Yeah, it's not an easy thing, but you just gotta follow your gut instinct." Liu answered.

Sapphire agreed with that and she said, "Well...I guess I'll take that to consideration. I gotta get going, but thanks again for getting my hat."

"You're welcome. Maybe we'll meet again?" asked Liu.

"Of course. I'd love to drop by on your birthday today." Sapphire said, with a smile.

Liu chuckled softly and he said, "No problem."

* * *

Looks like Liu's made himself a friend. Possibly. Stick around for more!


	10. Waiting for Liu

And everyone's waiting for Liu Shang for the party!

* * *

Chapter 10: Waiting for Liu

As the day goes by, everyone was heading to the huge temple across the Valley to celebrate Liu Shang's 15th birthday and Okinawa, Musaki, Taji, Zeke, Shao, Arizona and the rest of his friends and relatives, including the Furious Five, Oak Sung and Po went over to celebrate the occasion and Tigress asked, "I don't see how we're not dressed up for this event."

"It's a birthday party, not one of those high-strung elegant parties." Zeke corrected.

"The invitation says come as you are, so we're coming in our own normal attire." Taji stated.

Most of the Five agreed with the fact that they don't have to dress up for this occasion and Monkey said, "I can honestly say that this is one dress code I like to follow where we don't have to dress up."

As soon as the masters looked at the huge temple, they were super surprised by the size of it and it was like 12 times higher than the Jade Palace, except less thousand steps upwards and Mantis said, "This is the huge temple?"

"Yep. It's where my grandfather invites every single resident there for meetings, gatherings, parties, anniversaries, funerals...anything you think of, it's in this temple." Musaki answered.

"How high are the steps?" asked Po.

Musaki knew that Po and stairs are not best friends and he said to the Dragon Warrior, "They're not that high, I promise you."

"I hope not." Po answered.

Just then, they followed the rest of the residents up the steps to the temple and they met up with Taji and his friends and greeted them as they came in and when Taji sees Okinawa and Musaki come by, he said, "It's the panda brothers. What up, guys?"

"We're here to have a good time and celebrate Liu's birthday." Musaki answered.

"You only turn 15 once." Okinawa elaborated.

And Taji's parents were amazed when they saw the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior attend there and the mother was starstruck and she said, "The Jade Palace masters? I had no idea they'd come to our Valley to celebrate our adopted son's birthday."

"Adopted son?" asked Tigress, raising an eyebrow.

"Liu Shang." Musaki answered.

The father chuckled and bowed to all of them and he said, "We are very honored that you would come over."

The masters bowed back to them as they made their way inside of the temple and the masters were astonished by the looks of it and it was unlike anything they've ever seen before and the Five lets out a collective, "Wow..."

"Now this is awesome." Po said, breathless.

"Pretty impressive. Looks like grandfather Oak took good care of this temple." Okinawa added.

"Wait, you know about this temple?" asked Tigress.

Okinawa turned to Tigress and replied, "Yep, I've been here most of my childhood and not much as changed since then, but I can tell that Oak's been doing good in keeping it going."

Oak nods his head and he responded, "Just me and a few good friends around the Valley."

Crane went towards the roof of the temple and keeps an eye open for Liu Shang in case he comes over or sees him walk by as sort of a lookout on the roof. Meanwhile, Tigress started to see why everyone is around this huge temple and compares it to the Jade Palace, yet it looks nothing like it. Zeke looked at the tiger master and asked, "Impressive, huh?"

"I don't understand. How has Oak Sung managed to use this for any events?" asked Tigress.

"Whenever he has a huge gathering or a huge event's coming over to our valley, my grandfather puts it all in this temple and what he does it put it together with a couple of his friends and it is not your ordinary temple. He refers to it as the Jade Palace of the mixed Chinese/Japanese heritage. In retrospect, everyone is always welcome and Oak is very welcoming." Zeke answered.

After Tigress got her answer, the ways of the Bushido-Akio's completely surprised her and Po told her, "Let's not question what Musaki's relatives do and just focus on having fun."

"Yeah, as far as I can tell, you need it the most." Logan added.

"And then some." Kiba added.

Tigress is trying her best to lighten up, but is still unsure where to start and only when Po put it in his own way made it a little easier on her and soon enough, Crane swoops out of the roof and said, "Liu Shang's coming! And he's bringing in a panther girl!"

* * *

Let's get this party started!


	11. Best Celebration

And here is where Liu celebrates his 15th birthday with friends and family!

* * *

Chapter 11: Best Celebration

As the sun begins to set, Liu Shang walked towards parts of Shanghai Secluded Valley to find where everyone else is and right behind him is his new friend Sapphire and soon enough, they walked towards the steps of this ginormous temple and Sapphire looked up to see how high it was and she said, "How much higher is this place?"

"It's not really that high until you get to the top, though. It'll make you feel like you've just climbed on top of a mountain with steps." Liu answered.

When they eventually made it to the top, Sapphire looked at the entire Valley and she had never imagined that she'd stand this high enough and said, "Whoa...that's huge. I can see the entire Valley from here."

Liu chuckled at that and then he said to her, "If you walked out there at night, you'd see thousands of lanterns all around the Valley. It's that beautiful."

"I'll keep that in mind." Sapphire replied.

Both felines entered the temple and Sapphire took a first look at the entire place and it was like nothing she's ever seen before and she said, "This is the temple?"

"Yep, one of the most amazing temples in Shanghai Secluded Valley. My friend's grandfather contributes to the temple and whenever there's an event or something amazing planned, it all happens here." Liu answered.

"That's amazing." Sapphire added.

It didn't take long until Liu and Sapphire went to this huge open space and it was a little dark and just as he was about to find some light in there...

"SURPRISE!"

Liu was greatly alarmed and also surprised to see his friends and family there as mounds of confetti and streamers started flying all over the place and he covered his mouth in shock as to see that this is really happening and then he hears them say, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LIU SHANG!"

Liu lets out a huge smile on his face and said, "Oh my gosh! You guys are so awesome!"

"Were ya surprised, Liu?" asked Musaki.

Liu chuckled at this and she said, "Dude, I felt like my heart was popping out of my chest. Yeah, I was very surprised!"

Taji comes closer to Liu and notices that panther coming by and he assumed that it would be a girlfriend and said, "And I see you brought a lady friend with you, Liu."

"Everyone, this is my new friend, Sapphire." Liu said as he introduced them to everyone.

Sapphire looked at everyone and she said to them, "Hello, nice to meet you all."

Shao went towards the two of them and he said to Sapphire, "You here to celebrate with the birthday lion?"

"It looks like I am." Sapphire stated.

Oak Sung comes towards Liu and he lets out a smile and said, "We are here to celebrate your 15th birthday and we hope that it will be as special as you already are."

"Thanks, Oak. Having you guys here and my new friend here really helped. I mean, it's been almost a year since I've lived here and I see that all of you guys are my family." Liu stated.

Musaki comes towards Liu and he said, "From the moment we first met at that competition, I knew that I would find a friend that definitely means a lot and you're that person, Liu."

"Hear hear!" Okinawa exclaimed.

"So...what are we waiting for?! Let's get this party started!" Taji said, pumping his fists in the air.

With that, everyone played a lot of party games and Liu participated in those with his new friend; involving pin the tail on the Dragon Warrior and any other game possible and Liu received a lot of gifts from his friends and family, including stacks of comic books and tons of clothes, including some grey-white sweatpants, wristbands, headbands, hoodies and some vests.

Later on, Oak Sung and Musaki pulled out a birthday cake as everyone sang happy birthday to Liu Shang and Liu couldn't be any more appreciative of this and after that, Liu blew out all of the candles as everyone applauded. Taji then asked Liu, "What'd you wish for?"

"Dude...no need to ask. Otherwise, it won't come true." Okinawa replied.

Liu chuckled softly and he said, "It already came true for me. All I ever wanted was to be surrounded by friends and family and it's how I envisioned my birthday could be and should be. And of course...making a new friend like Sapphire really made it more special and I really wanna thank you guys from the bottom of my heart."

"Happy 15th birthday, Liu!" everyone exclaimed.

* * *

Now was that awesome or what?! Stay tuned for more!


	12. Hazards' Fitting In

And here's where most of the Hazards feel like they're part of Shanghai Secluded Valley.

* * *

Chapter 12: Hazards' Fitting In

The morning after, most of the Hazards; Ryo, Takami, Skyler, Kiba, Faith, Hope and Layla took a little walk around Shanghai Secluded Valley and from the looks of it, it's like one of the most peaceful and diverse places they've ever seen in their lives and though it's nothing like the Valley of Peace, it does symbolize the vibe how tight-knit this place really is.

It wasn't long until they saw Liu Shang, Shao, Sapphire and Taji walk by and Shao was the first one to see them and he said, "Sup, guys?"

Takami looks up at them and he said, "Hey, what's going on?"

"Thanks for coming over to Liu's birthday. He said that it's one of the best days he's had in so long." Shao replied.

Takami was greatly appreciated by that and he said, "Hey, we were happy to celebrate someone's special day."

"Most definitely." Ryo added.

Skyler rolled her eyes at Ryo's comment and she said, "I'll say. You nearly ate everything at that party."

"Sky...a wolf's gotta eat. It's my right, you know." Ryo said, pointing it out.

Faith looks up at the others and she asked them, "So...what are you guys doing now?"

"We're showing Sapphire around the village and then we're gonna head to the MMA gym with Okinawa and Musaki." Taji answered.

Sapphire was intrigued by MMA and she asked, "That's mixed martial arts, right?"

"Yeah, that's it. How'd you know about that?" asked Liu Shang, suprised.

Sapphire felt it was best to give Liu a tiny piece of info and she replied, "I just heard about it for years."

Layla looks up at Sapphire and she said to her, "You must really be good at it."

Sapphire felt bashful about that particular assumption and she said, "Nah, I don't really think so."

Soon, Liu said to the others, "Hey, don't worry about it. We'll meet up at the gym a little later."

Everyone agreed to that and as everyone headed towards different directions, the Hazards thought it'd be best to explore around the entire Valley and with that, Takami brought Ryo, Kiba, Faith, Hope, Layla and Skyler towards parts of the forest and Kiba was amazed with how much scenery this Valley has and he said, "I could see myself growing old in a forest like that."

"And you'd still be a puppy." Ryo added.

"Well...I think it looks really beautiful. How can Musaki not live in a place like that?" asked Faith, mesmerized by the majestic peacefulness.

Hope followed Faith as they looked around and Faith quickly puts her hand on his paws and Hope gratefully holds her paw as the two walked with each other, just taking a look around the forest and as Layla looks up and sees the two together, she always imagined it being her and Takami together later in the future and when she looked at Takami, she said to him, "Taka...do you think you and me will ever have a future?"

Takami looks up at Layla and replied, "Of course. Why wouldn't we?"

"I just know that the two of us would always have each other; get married and have a few cubs of our own." Layla stated.

"I feel the same way too. But we have plenty of time and all we have to do is just enjoy the present." Takami added.

Looking into Takami's eyes, Layla felt like she got lost in them and she held his paw and said, "I agree."

Meanwhile, Kiba was looking for a tree to do his 'wolf business' and when he found the perfect one, he looked over to see if no one was there and just hid deeply in the bushes, took his pants off and proceeded to do both number one and number two, of which Kiba lets out a relieved sigh.

The scent of Kiba's number two rose up Ryo's sense of smell and as it got closer, he covered his nose and just groaned in disgust that Kiba was actually taking a dump and when he saw Kiba doing his business, his eyes were mortified.

"Kiba..." Ryo groans.

"Ryo, a little privacy?" asked Kiba.

As Ryo backs away, holding onto his nose...he went back with the others and Takami said, "Let's keep moving, guys."

"It'll take me a while though." Kiba announced.

"Why's that?" asked Faith.

Then, she heard Kiba dropping wolf loads and that was when she got her answer and lets out an exasperated sigh and said, "Akiba..."

* * *

Thought I added a funny moment there. Stay tuned for more!


	13. The Old House

And the rest of the warriors take a look at the old house that Sakamoto and Bao-Yi lived in.

* * *

Chapter 13: The Old House

That same afternoon, Oak Sung took the Five, Po, Okinawa, Musaki, Arizona, Zeke, all of Musaki's friends and relatives over to the forest for something really important they ought to see and Musaki definitely knew where they're going, but can't tell the others just yet because it would be given away quickly and Oak Sung looked at the rest and asked, "Do you know where we are going today?"

"No. Where are we going?" asked Naomi.

Oak chuckled softly at this and replied, "You will have to wait and see."

Naomi started to get a little impatient, but really anxious as to where they're going and she said, "When are we gonna get there?"

"Patience, child." Oak said, in a calm voice.

They all continued walking by the forest and Okinawa was the only one patiently waiting to see what's gonna come out of this experience and Okinawa whispered in Musaki's ear, "So...what's the big surprise?"

"Grandfather says it's the most amazing place you'll ever see." Musaki whispered back.

"How far are we going, Mr. Oak?" asked Mason.

"Just a little further. And don't call me mister. It's just Oak." Oak replied.

Musaki elbowed Mason's arm and he said to the puma, "My grandpa doesn't want to be referred to as 'mister'. It's better to just call him by Oak."

"Got it." Mason whispered.

Sooner or later, Oak walked towards these bushes and he was definitely confident to know that they're inches closer to the destination and he said, "We are almost there."

Everyone followed Oak as they walked past a few bushes and they heard a distant rush of the waterfall and Musaki quietly figured out where they're heading and he knew that it would be where they're going to now and as the roar of the waterfall got closer and closer, they had finally made it. Oak turns to the others and said, "Here we are..."

As soon as everyone walked up, all eyes were widened and jaws were dropped down to the floor as they witnessed the most beautiful sight they've ever seen. As for Okinawa, he was the most floored when he took a huge look at this place. He chuckled and said, "Whoa...what is this place?"

"This is where your parents used to live after they were married and before they had Xing-Fu and Zeke." Oak replied.

"That's amazing." Okinawa whispered.

Musaki chuckled at this and he said, "And this is the house where Zeke and I spent our early days until we split up. Since then, I spent my first three years with them right up until they died. You know, it was all such a blur to me the minute I stepped back, but it quickly brought back a whole lot of memories for me."

"And surprisingly...it was in that same place where your parents made you when they were teenagers." Oak added.

Okinawa and most of the others were surprised that their parents were so young when they became parents and Mantis said, "How old were they?"

"Sakamoto was almost 19 and Bao-Yi was 18 at the time." Oak replied.

"Ohh...so that means they didn't wait until marriage. Saki, your parents must've done some serious mating all night..." Mantis began, but got cut off by Musaki.

"Shaddep." Musaki said, with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Even I don't want to hear the end of it." Tigress agreed.

Oak turns to Mantis and he said to him, "We all get what you mean by that. Just do not say it in front of the children."

Max tug on Oak's cloak and he asked, "What is mating?"

Oak froze for a minute and he was stunned after hearing this from a nine year old and he pats the white tiger cub on the head and said, "Maybe you should discuss it with your dad when you get older."

"Yeah, like when you're 19." Mako added.

"Or 21." Arizona stated.

Naomi took one look at the house and is surprised that it's in good condition because normally, it would be old and abandoned and not in good shape and she asked Oak, "It looks so perfect. I thought it would be unusable."

"We did not plan to leave it in a condemned state. We come there every so often to make sure it will remain clean and still in good use. We would often have family gatherings at this house because it is how Sakamoto and Bao-Yi loved it and often times, I would come here for a little bit of training and meditation when I please." Oak added.

"I thought you'd do it by your house." Arizona said.

"I do, but I go wherever I go to feel at peace and in my zen mode." Oak replied.

Kendall chuckled at this and is super amazed by Oak's wisdom and said, "I wish you could be my mentor."

Okinawa came to Oak and said, "How come I never knew about this place?"

"I wanted to tell you all these years, but I thought that if there was a way that you, Xing-Fu and Zeke will come together to see the house in person, I would take this opportunity to show it to you all and now that it finally happened, now's a good time." Oak replied.

"I wanna see what the inside looks like." Reiko stated.

Not long after, they walked inside the house and it remained the same way as it was years before and one look at this house and it already has the Bushido-Akio welcoming feeling surrounding them and they all let out a collective, "Wow..."

"This place is beautiful." Viper said, amazed.

"I wish I could have a house like that." Spencer said.

"Looks like something I can bring girls in." Carlos added.

Oak Sung, Okinawa, Musaki and Zeke were really impressed and they knew that it would bring a lot of memories in this place and Okinawa said, "I think I'm starting to feel like I'm back into being in the family."

"And you have been for a while. Xing-Fu said that he is planning on making this his permanent home when he comes to live at his hometown again." Oak Sung added.

Musaki nodded at that and he said, "It will be great to bring Summer here, so we can get married, have kids and grow old together. It'd be really awesome."

Po smiled at that for a minute and he said to Musaki, "I hope I can visit."

"Yeah, you and the Five are welcome here." Musaki said, happily.

Just then, they noticed parts of the Hazards coming in the front part of the house and Kiba was the first one to notice them and said, "Oh...hey guys."

"Kiba? What are you doing here?" asked Monkey, raising his eyebrow.

Kiba comes in the house with his hand behind his neck and said, "We came over to take in the sights of this valley and visit this house again."

"We?" everyone asked.

One-by-one, they see Ryo, Takami, Skyler, Faith, Hope and Layla come by and they saw the masters standing there, waving at them and Oak chuckled softly and said, "Looks like we got new visitors here."

* * *

Stick around for more! Happy Thanksgiving!


	14. Wrath of Zora

And we meet Zora once again!

* * *

Chapter 14: Wrath of Zora

Moments after Oak Sung showed the gang Musaki's parents old home, there were plenty of amazement and awestruck moments they never knew they had before and for Okinawa, it just amazed him to a point where he was without words to even mention how special his parents were and Musaki could tell his older brother was speechless and he patted his shoulder and said to him, "A lot to take in, isn't it?"

"A whole lot." Okinawa said, breathless.

Musaki blinked a few times and Okinawa looked at Musaki and said, "I wish that I can see them one more time. That would be the best thing I would want; for them to know that I love them and that I've always wanted to know about them."

Oak looked at Okinawa for a second and agreed with that input and said, "I am positive that they would hear it from you. I know that they are very proud of you."

Okinawa lets out a smile and he just felt a huge sense of warmth all over him to know that his parents are there and has a special place for them in his heart and deep in his soul and he looks at his grandfather and his younger brothers and he said, "I'm lucky to be a part of a family I always wanted to know I have."

As soon as they all went towards the village, Tigress' ears perked up something in a further distance and hears some punches and screaming and Musaki turned to her and asked, "What's wrong with you?"

"Be quiet." Tigress said, urgently.

Musaki could tell that something might be up and he asked, "What is it?"

It didn't take long for them to see Willow being thrown out of a window and landing on the road and a mortified Okinawa looked up and sees her being beaten up and he came closer to her to see if she's okay. He looks at her and sees the claw marks on her face and blood coming out of it too and he whispered, "Willow? Willow, can you hear me?"

"Get your hands away from my girl!"

Okinawa looks up and sees Zora standing at the window, looking totally enraged and brought in a knife to finish her off and Okinawa said to him, "What is your deal?!"

"Willow is my girl and she ain't going anywhere with you or anyone else here!" Zora shouted, in anger.

"Who is this guy?" asked Viper.

"That's Zora...the guy who's 'dating' the crush of my dreams. She's been with him for a few years now...which I think is too long to put up with this." Okinawa replied, firmly.

"Bitch! Get the (bleep) up and stay away from this guy! He's too fat for you! But I ain't gonna let you get fat with him with that fat ass of yours!" Zora shouted.

That comment seemed to offend Po and even though he's not in Willow's place, being called out and insulted by the weight was all too familiar and he stepped up and said, "Who do you think you are, man? You can't insult a girl's weight like that!"

"And who the (bleep) do you think you are?" Zora asked.

"I am the Dragon Warrior!" Po exclaimed.

Just then, Zora leaps out of the window and came face to face with the masters and everyone else and did not care much for the Dragon Warrior and he said, "So you think a fatass panda can actually stop me? Creatures like you should not even exist! That peacock should've killed your entire race because you're the reason for the world's turmoil!"

Now that was entirely offensive to hear from Zeke, Okinawa, Musaki, Po and Oak Sung and the elderly panda looked at the lion in the eye and said, "Young man, us pandas are not what you say we are and why do you disrespect our national species?"

"Because I will not be told what to do by a whole plethora of black and white fatness! You should all lose weight and then kill yourselves after being skinny!" Zora snapped back.

Oak Sung chuckled at that particular comment and senses a little bit of irony and he said, "Funny. I should say the same thing about you lions because you pack in more weight than any other animal, but I do not require disrespecting the youth who disrespects their elders."

"I don't give a (bleep) about the (bleep)ing elders. They should burn in hell." Zora said, in a cold tone.

"That's what you think. You should probably remember that comment as you hit the elderly stage." Oak added.

Zora didn't really believe that a guy like Oak Sung could actually set him straight, but little did the lion know is that he's got something else up his sleeve...his common willpower. Musaki stepped up to the plate and said, "You better watch the way you're talking to my grandfather."

"Like I could care about your grandfather." Zora added.

Okinawa helped Willow up and as she stood up, she started coughing up blood and that's Okinawa's main concern to get her to safety and he turned to Po and Tigress and said, "Can you help me take her to Azuko's house?"

"Absolutely." Po replied.

Tigress also assisted in helping Willow get to safety, but Zora wasn't gonna let her go anywhere and he stopped all three of them and said, "Drop her now. She is not going anywhere with you!"

"You've done enough, Zora." Okinawa said, in a half-angered yet serious tone.

Zora growls at Okinawa and he wasn't gonna listen to anything Okinawa has to say and said, "I'm warining you! I don't want Willow involved with bitches and whores like you people!"

That was the most offensive thing he ever put out and Faith immediately clawed his butt, which resulted in Zora roaring in pain and she angrily said to him, "The only bitch and whore around here is you! How dare you put that poor girl through so much suffering!"

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about, but you are so wrong! Now move it before I slice your ass into the next dynasty!" Zora said, getting in her face.

Faith was not gonna back down and she spat on his face as a result and Zora got shocked and it made him angrier even more and he said, "You leave me no choice. If Willow leaves, I'm gonna tie her to the bed and set the entire house on fire!"

"You'll do nothing of the sort! Layla spat up.

"Shut up, you freak bitch!" Zora shouted, then slapped Layla in the face.

Takami immediately acted on instinct and attacked Zora in a fuel of blind rage as he viciously attacked Zora with several punches and scratches and knocked him him harder...yet none of that seemed to phase Zora, but only made him more angry. Takami was enraged after he heard Zora call his girlfriend a bitch and that was deeply offensive to him and he said, "Don't you ever, ever, EVER call my girlfriend that word again!"

Oak Sung immediately went in and calmed Takami down and said, "Ease yourself, son. The young man will get what's coming to him."

Okinawa, Po and Tigress set out to take Willow to Azuko's house for safety and as soon as they leave, Zora growled at all of them and said, "This ain't over!"

* * *

Man, that guy was mean! Stay tuned to see what's happening with Willow!


	15. Keeping Willow Safe

And soon...feelings develop between the two!

* * *

Chapter 15: Keeping Willow Safe

Later that day

Po, Okinawa and Tigress carried an injured, yet shaken Willow over to Azuko's house and as they came in, Azuko turns around and looked totally alarmed by this situation and he comes over and said, "What's going on?"

Okinawa looks at his adopted father with deep concern and he said, "Willow's been attacked."

Azuko could tell that this is serious and one look at her and he was definitely shocked by this and he said, "There's some first aid kit in my room. It's on top of the first drawer on the left."

Tigress immediately got the message and went over to get the first aid kit and Po followed behind her, in case she needs assistance and Azuko quickly went the the bathroom to just some rags and warm water, all while Okinawa remained by Willow's side through it all. Willow was still shaken up by this turn of events and she looked at Okinawa and said, "You didn't have to do this, Oki."

Okinawa looked at her in the eye and said, "I wanted to, Willow. This guy can't keep you safe with his temper."

"But he told me countless times that he'll change." Willow stated.

Okinawa knew that there was no progress with Zora's temper and who knows what else might happen if she comes back to him and he said, "Willow, you can't put up with this any longer. You're way better than this. Plus, he can't change himself unless wants to."

"He's told me that he's trying. But all I get is the same thing." Willow replied.

Okinawa sighed heavily at that answer and he turns to her and said, "Willow...you got to leave Zora."

Soon enough, Azuko comes back with some water water and a clean rag, in which he dips it in there, squeezes all the water off and cleans up parts of her wounds and Azuko asked her, "How did you involve yourself with this boy?"

"One of my friends set us up on a date a few years ago and they thought we'd be a great couple. What I didn't know is that he has an explosive temper and a huge amount of anger issues. He's very controlling. Always tells me what to do, what to eat, what should I wear, when I'm coming home and if I stay too long, he gets a big fit about it. Even when I tell him that I'm with my family, he tells me that I'm not allowed anywhere near them or my friends. It's like my independence has been taken away from me." Willow answered.

Just hearing this in detail made Okinawa more disturbed and saddened for her because she has to put up with all of that and he lets out a huge sigh and shook his head over all the things he's done and he turns to her and said, "And there's nothing you can do to stop?"

"I tried to break up with him 30 times, but he still won't let me go. He said to me, 'if I can't have you, you won't have life at all' and on the day I broke up with him, he strangled me and choked me until I was left for dead." Willow answered.

Soon enough, the rest of the gang came in and they surrounded Willow with deep concern and Faith was the first one to come closer to her and said, "He's no good. I've only met him twice and I have never met such an idiot douchebag in all my life. And I've dealt with these kinds of boys before."

"Hey!" all the boys shouted.

"Except for Hope." Faith said.

Po and Tigress came back downstairs with the first aid kit with them and as Azuko was cleaning Willow's wounds, Tigress gave Okinawa the shaolin wraps and he wraps the cuts around most of her body and he told her, "You can't go back to this guy. He's too dangerous."

"I know...but for some reason, I love him and I want him to change." Willow said.

"Willow, if you stay with this guy, he's gonna keep doing the same thing to you until you end up in your grave. Most guys like Zora never change." Skyler stated.

"You can't expect him to change overnight. You need someone else who can stay by your side, who compliments you, keeps you safe and secure and always tells you you're beautiful." Layla replied.

"But Zora says they're all wimps and they're not strong enough." Willow added.

Hope disagrees with that intact and he said to Willow, "That's not true. There's always some guys that are kindhearted and really likeable. You just gotta find them."

"But who could I find someone like that?" asked Willow.

"Okinawa." Musaki quickly answered.

Okinawa quickly turned to Musaki after making that comment and he said, "You really think so?"

"Of course. Okinawa's nice, sweet, caring, charming, handsome and not to mention...a total gentleman. He's like the perfect guy for you." Musaki explained.

Willow rose her eyebrow to that and she said, "You really think so?"

"Duh! He told me himself that he's had a crush on you for a long time." Musaki said, all eyes pointing at Okinawa.

Okinawa blushed for a minute and felt like he was gonna get humiliated after this and Willow turned to Okinawa and asked, "Is that true?"

"Yes." Okinawa replied, a little hesitant.

Willow widened her eyes in response and she had always wondered how Okinawa really hung out with her often when they were cubs and she in turn had a crush on him and Okinawa went on to say, "I had always hoped that we'd be together and get to tell you my true feelings for you, but I was kinda scared thinking that you'd reject me and go for tougher guys, you know...the bad boy types."

"The bad boys all end up like jerks." Skyler retorted.

Willow looked up at Okinawa and she said to him, "Can I stay with you tonight, Okinawa?"

That really surprised Okinawa to a point where he was speechless and he couldn't believe what she was actually saying and he looked at her in the eye and replied, "Yeah, you can."

"Just do not sleep on the same bed with her." Azuko added.

"Yes, sir." Okinawa replied.

* * *

So...how would that be? Let's find out!


	16. Quick Feelings

Deep feelings for each other comes in the surface between Okinawa and Willow.

* * *

Chapter 16: Quick Feelings

As nightfall comes on, Willow heads over to the guest room to have some time to herself and after she was being well taken care of by Azuko and Okinawa, she couldn't help but wonder why Okinawa did this for her. She thought that she would never live to see another day with Zora around, but for some reason...she felt like she's regretting her decision to stay with Zora because she's heard the same phrase from that lion over and over again and has shown little or no success.

When she entered the guest room, she sat down on the edge of the bed and thought about what if she did fall in love with Okinawa. They've grown up together since they were cubs and she always liked having him around most of the time and that they were really good friends and as they got older, they developed a crush on each other with neither wanting to admit their feelings due to fear of ruining their friendship.

Looking back on it now, she probably would've taken that chance and just tell Okinawa how she feels about him and maybe end up being together. Things should've ended there had Zora not have entered into her life and got beaten like his personal punching bag that he can't part with.

Just then, she heard a knock on the door and she said, "Come in."

And in comes Okinawa with some fresh clean clothes in a bag and he said, "Got some clothes for you. It's not really that much, but I just think it's a better option than coming out with some blood stains on your clothes."

Willow smiled at that comment and she accepted the clean clothes and said, "Thanks, Okinawa."

"You're welcome." Okinawa replied and scratched the back of his neck nervously.

Once Willow saw that gesture, she lets out a little giggle and said, "Still the same Okinawa...always shy around girls."

"I'm not that shy...kind of." Okinawa said.

But Willow could tell he was kinda shy and that's what really got her liking Okinawa by much in the first place and she said, "Still the same."

"Okay...I can admit it." Okinawa said, as he sat next to her.

Willow looked at Okinawa in the eye and got so lost into his blue eyes that it was almost like their eyes were having a little session of their own and Willow said, "Oki...all the stuff you said about me, were those really true?"

"They've always been true, Willow. I've always wanted you to be my girlfriend since I was 12 and since then, all I've done is thought of you. Still, I wondered what would've happened if we were to see each other again." Okinawa answered.

"I thought the same thing too." Willow said.

"Okinawa...I have something to tell you and if you don't feel the same way, I understand." Willow said.

Willow took a deep breath, looked at Okinawa straight in the eye and she said, "I've always had feelings for you, Okinawa. Even when Zora kept me imprisoned...I always had feelings for you. From the minute that we were kids, I had always hoped you'd be the one for me...the one I would spend the rest of my life with. I love you, Okinawa."

Okinawa's heart felt like it was gonna burst out of his chest when she said those three words and he looked at her in the eye and said, "Willow...I love you too. I always have been."

He then stroked her cheek gently and the gentle touch of Okinawa's hand helped heal Willow's fear away from her and as their faces got closer, so did their lips. They kissed each other on the lips and it started off sweet and tender and as they broke off, sparks definitely flew between them and as they looked into their eyes, they were surprised that it is really meant to be.

"Hold me, Okinawa." Willow whispered.

Okinawa placed his arms around her and held her tightly and Willow felt like she was safe with Okinawa around and he kissed her on the forehead and he said, "I'm not gonna let anything happen to you as long as I'm here."

* * *

Was that sweet or what? They're officially together! Stay tuned for more!


	17. Official Couple

And finally...Willow and Okinawa are officially together!

* * *

Chapter 17: Official Couple

By the next morning, Okinawa walked downstairs and headed to the kitchen and to his surprise, he sees Willow talking with his adopted father and he didn't want to interrupt, but kept listening in on the conversation all while he was distracted by her beautiful face. It was exactly the same way he remembered it all those years ago; from when he was a kid to now, she looks more prettier than ever, despite those cuts, bruises and beat marks.

Azuko turns around and sees Okinawa standing there, just listening in and he said, "Good morning, son."

"Morning, dad." Okinawa said, smiling.

He comes downstairs and sits next to Willow and he said, "Morning, Willow. You sleep well?"

Willow nods her head in agreement and said, "I slept really well, Okinawa. Thanks for letting me stay here."

Okinawa was just happy to do it for her and he reaches out her hand and said, "Anytime."

Then, one of his younger brothers saw them looking at each other and he said, "Are you guys gonna kiss?"

Willow blushed in embarrassment and Okinawa had to give his little brother a noogie for even mentioning it in front of her and said, "Do you ever stop asking?"

"Only when I feel like it." his little wolf brother responded.

Later that morning, Okinawa and Willow walked out of the house, both hand-in-hand and that pretty much tells that these two are officially a couple and Willow was pretty much anxious about what would happen if Zora actually caught them together and didn't want anything to happen to Okinawa, but then again...the same result would come in from Zora and that was endless violence and she doesn't want that to happen.

As they were walking, Willow got closer and closer to Okinawa and she definitely felt safe around him and Okinawa looks at her and he lets out a smile and said, "I guess this makes us a couple now, huh?"

"I guess so. But...I don't wanna rush into it too quickly." Willow added.

"I agree. I think that maybe we should take time to get to know each other, maybe catch up where we left off." Okinawa stated.

And when they reached the village, he was surprised to see Musaki, Zeke, Arizona and Max coming this way and Musaki was the first one to see them together and he said, "So...you guys are together now?"

Okinawa chuckled at this and he was quick to answer that question, "We made it official last night."

Arizona and Musaki were pretty much surprised to hear that, under the assumption that they came as one last night and Okinawa could tell what they meant by that and he said, "Not like that! We kissed, yes...but we didn't do what you were thinking."

"Not at all." Willow said.

"Well, that's good to hear. But I can say that you two are meant to be and I'm glad to see you're okay, Willow." Musaki stated.

"And it's all thanks to you guys." Willow said, in deep appreciation.

"Anytime."

Just then, Michael, Carlos, Mason, Drake and Josh went around the village and Michael sorta had a feeling for this place and it's like parts of his home, but millions of miles away. He's not that used to being around people who are completely friendly and tight-knit, but started to give this place a chance and Mason looks up and he looks at Michael and asked, "Hey, Mike...you okay?"

Michael was lost in his thoughts and he turned to Mason and said, "Me? Oh, I'm okay."

"You sure?" asked Drake.

Michael sighed heavily in response and he answered, "I guess. I...I really don't know. I just felt like this place could help me recouperate from all the memories of my mistake I made with my girlfriend."

"That was years ago, Mike. I can tell it still bothers you." Mason replied.

"But I can't get over it. It feels like I remember it like yesterday and it's something that never goes away. The more I walk around this place, it made me feel like all of those memories are slowly leaving me." Michael answered.

"How about you find a new girlfriend, Mike? That helps me get my mind off of some stuff?" asked Carlos, looking at every girl around.

"Carlos...nothing could replace my girlfriend or what I've done to her." Michael said, lowering his ears down.

Mason kept looking at Michael and he felt like maybe he needs something to make him feel better and he said to him, "How about we all head to the waterfall for a little swim? Maybe that'll make you feel better."

"I guess." Michael added.

* * *

Stay tuned for more! BTW, Michael, Carlos, Drake, Josh and Mason were owned by The Night Owl Revolution. Hope ya'll had an awesome thanksgiving!


	18. Visit to the Grave

And we now focus on Musaki's time talking to his parents to the grave and has something on his mind.

* * *

Chapter 18: Visit to the Grave

Later that morning, Musaki goes over to the cemetery acorss the village and it's the one place where he can talk to his parents and he brought in some flowers to place in his parents' tombstones and as soon as he got there, he looks at these two graves and he knelt down on the ground and there were so many feelings he had and he was just really amazed at how much things have gone in these past few days; with Musaki meeting his older brother for the first time.

"Hey, mom...dad. How ya doing? I just thought I'd come down and tell you how things were going. Obviously, things are going really great with me and Okinawa now. I think we're starting to get closer and closer than ever and I just feel like...I wanna be around him more. For some reason, I felt like I had this empty space inside of me even while I was adopted at the Jade Palace like I always wanted someone around me that's closer to me. Of course, I had the Five and Po with me...but often times, I felt like it wasn't even enough."

Musaki was unaware that Master Tigress overheard him as she was walking towards the graveyard with Po and Oak Sung and she was really surprised that he felt like this all this time and never seemed to talk about it much and it was like she was literally feeling his pain on the inside.

"There were many times that I felt like I was the only panda that survived after you guys died until Po came in. I don't know...I'm just overwhelmed with everything that's been going on that I'm worried that one day it'll be gone. And that it'll be nothing but a memory." Musaki added.

Oak Sung was taken by surprised and he had no idea Musaki felt this way before and he listened more of what his grandson had to say.

"But I've always asked myself 'if I had a family that looks like me, what would it be?' and I guess everything that I've been looking for these past 4 years have been right in front of me; my long-lost twin brother, my uncle and cousins, my grandparents and now my older brother. Now that I've found them all on my own, I feel like I wanna be closer to them. But it's like I'm torn in between choosing the life I'm living in the Valley of Peace or just leave it behind and go abck to the home I've always wanted to live for the rest of my life. But...how do I choose? Should I leave the Valley of Peace for Shanghai Secluded Valley or should I remain in the Valley of Peace and complete my kung-fu training? I don't wanna be a kung-fu master, but I don't know what should I do at this point. I mean, I've always been sure of what I wanted when I was 13, but now...it's just so complicated." Musaki answered.

Hearing that made all three of them concerned for Musaki and it even surprised Tigress when she heard that Musaki didn't want to be a kung-fu master and she didn't really take it too well, but Po was the most shocked to hear it from him. But all of their personal feelings subsided as they noticed Musaki was struggling as to what he should do.

Musaki looks up to the sky and asked, "What do I do?"

"Choose with your heart, Xing-Fu."

Musaki turned around and assumed that it was either his mom or dad that answered and yet...he sees his grandfather coming by and he stood up and said, "How'd you know I was here?"

"I know you always come here to gather your thoughts and talk to your parents in their grave. So...I followed Po and Tigress while they were following you." Oak answered.

Musaki looked on and saw Po and Tigress and he lets out an exasperated sigh and said, "Couldn't trust me enough to leave me alone, huh?"

"No, I trust you. Tigress dragged me into it." Po protested.

Tigress was flabbergasted by Po's 'accusation' and she said, "No, you said, 'let's go check it out' and I followed you."

Oak clears his throat to stop the argument and he said, "Enough."

Tigress shifted her attention to Musaki and she asked him, "Is that true? You don't want to be a kung-fu master?"

"Well...it never really occured to me. On one side, it does sound like the best opportunity in the universe, but on the other hand...I don't wanna leave behind the people I love and started to come back with. So...I just don't know what to do." Musaki said, looking a little sad.

Seeing Musaki sad was something Po could never want to see and he immediately came to him and hugged him tightly and he said, "Whatever you choose...we'll always be here for you, Lil' Saki. If you wanna be a master, great. If not, that's okay too. But it's what you want, Saki."

"As I said before...choose with your heart." Oak replied.

Musaki blinked his eyes a few times and he knows what he wants to choose, but he can't say it yet and he lets out a sigh and said, "I'll think about it and I'll let you know."

Oak nodded his head in response and said, "Fair enough."

* * *

Stay tuned to see Musaki's emotional decision come forward.


	19. Emotional Support

And Musaki's choice takes a struggling turn and one way to settle it...meditate and words of advice from his parents.

* * *

Chapter 19: Emotional Support

As the days continues to go on, Musaki follows Oak Sung, Tigress and Po back to his grandparents' house and as they got there, most of the masters saw a different Musaki walking by, like he's literally bothered by something and Viper could sense it in him immediately and she asked him, "Musaki, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Viper." Musaki replied.

Viper obviously knew something wasn't fine with him and just wanted to know why, but Tigress told her not to press the issue further and that he'll be ready to tell him soon enough and as Musaki headed towards the backyard, he thought maybe a little bit of meditation can help clear his mind.

He sat down on the ground, crossed his legs, closed his eyes and just lets himself get lost in his thoughts as to how he's gonna make the most difficult choice of his life. At some point, Musaki is headed towards a crossroads as to choosing between living a life as a kung-fu master or just to spend the rest of his life at Shanghai Secluded Valley to become closer to his relatives.

As he got deeper and deeper into his thoughts, he somehow transported himself to a new place where he's never been before and he walks around, just wondering where he could be.

"Hello? Hello? Is there anyone here?" Musaki said, as he's walking.

"We're here."

Musaki got alarmed by the sound of someone's voice right behind him and when he turned around, he gave himself some relief to see his parents standing there and Sakamoto said, "Hello, Xing-Fu."

"Mom...dad...what are you guys doing here?" asked Musaki.

"We couldn't help but hear what you said at our tombstones earlier and we had no idea that you were feeling that way." Bao-Yi said, with a hint of concern in her voice.

Musaki was surprised to know that they were listening to everything he had to say to them about choosing between living in the Valley of Peace or going back home to Shanghai Secluded Valley and he looked at them in the eye and asked, "Which ones did you hear?"

"We heard everything. We may be spirits, but it does not mean we can't hear everything you have said to us. Tell us how you're feeling, Xing-Fu." Sakamoto replied.

Musaki lets out a deep sigh and he said, "I'm just confused. On one hand, I do wanna remain at the Valley of Peace to complete my training at the Jade Palace, but on the other hand, I wanna move back to Shanghai Secluded valley because ever since I've come back there, I felt more at home with my relatives and friends. And I've just gotten to know my older brother. How do I choose?"

Sakamoto comes to his son and he tells him, "Xing-Fu...ask yourself this question. What do you want to do? Not what me, your mother, your grandfather...or even your friends want. What does my son want to do?"

"And maybe you can do what your grandfather says...choose with your heart." Bao-Yi added.

Musaki knew he wanted to make a decision that would please himself instead of others and he lets out a deep sigh and then turned to his parents and said, "I know I'm gonna have to eventually move back to Shanghai Secluded Valley someday...and I still wanna move back there. So...I'm willing to choose going back to Secluded Valley when I'm 21."

Sakamoto nodded his head at this and he placed his hand on Musaki's shoulder and said, "You're making a bold step in the right direction. No matter what you do, me and your mother will always be proud of you."

"And we love you. Never forget that." Bao-Yi said, smiling.

They hugged each other and Musaki hugged them tightly with tears coming out of his eyes and he whispered, "I love you guys."

"We love you too, son." Sakamoto said.

After that, it fades away and Musaki got back to reality after a huge meditation and when he opened his eyes, he felt completely relaxed and above all...much more happier than ever before and he stood up, looked up at the sky and smiled, knowing that he's made a decision of his own.

"Thanks, mom and dad." Musaki said.

* * *

And that eased his mind immediately. What will the masters' reaction be? Find out next!


	20. A Decision

And Musaki makes his own decision about what the future will hold for him.

* * *

Chapter 20: A Decision

As Musaki got inside the house, he sees most of the masters, Oak Sung, Okinawa, the Hazards, his cousins and Uncle Mako sitting there and Viper went towards him and she asked, "Musaki, are you okay now?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just needed a little meditation." Musaki added.

Oak Sung was proud of Musaki for that particular session he made because it was something he needed the most out of all of his days and he said, "That's good for you, Xing-Fu."

He then sits down with the rest of the gang and there were so many things on his mind that he doesn't know where to start off at and Arizona sat next to him and said, "What's wrong?"

Musaki turned to Arizona and he said, "I think I've made a decision that feels right for me for the first time in my life."

"What's that?" asked Crane.

Musaki lets out a big sigh and he turns to everyone around him and he said, "I decided that I don't want to be a kung-fu master."

Almost immediately, everyone was surprised to hear this coming from Musaki and they didn't expect him to answer that question and Tigress was instantly stunned to hear this, but not everyone was that shocked to hear this and Po said, "You sure that's what you want?"

"Yeah, are you sure?" asked Tigress, a little unconvinced.

"I'm 1,000% positive." Musaki answered.

Po figured that the 1,000% positive answer really means that he's serious about it and Monkey was a little confused by this and he asked, "Why? I thought it's what you wanted more than anything."

"Honestly, it's not what I really wanted. Of course I put in my heart and soul into training, but there are times when you have to say to yourself 'enough's enough'. And I show no disrespect to the finest art form in China, but it's also not something I wanna spend the rest of my life doing. I know I wanna keep training, but there's gonna be a time when I wanna leave the Valley of Peace for Shanghai Secluded Valley." Musaki answered.

"So...you wouldn't live in the Valley of Peace anymore?" asked Kendall.

Musaki looked at Kendall and he could tell that Kendall's starting to get a little concerned by this and Musaki said, "When I move out by the time I'm 21. But it's in no means that I'll never come back."

"That's what it sounded like to me." Naomi said, a little upset.

"I don't intend to leave you all forever and forget about you. You guys are still my friends. I just gotta do what's best for me and it's a choice I'm making with my heart, not with my head." Musaki added.

Tigress was about to protest by that decision, but Mako stopped her before anything would go wrong and he said, "Tigress...it sounds like Musaki's made up his mind. It's his choice."

"Yes, whatever you want to do...we'll always be proud of you." Oak Sung stated.

Takami nodded in agreement and the same way goes with the rest of the Hazards and also some support from Po, Viper, Crane, Mantis and Monkey and Po told him, "As I said, if you want to be a master, great. But if not, it's cool. Just do whatever makes you happy."

"We'll always be happy with whatever your decision is." Viper added.

"And the Jade Palace will always be open for you." Crane stated.

Hearing all of that made Musaki more happier than anything and Okinawa comes towards him and he said, "I hope that one day when you live here for good, we can have an awesome time together."

"Shouldn't you get married by that time?" asked Musaki.

Okinawa sighed at this and ended up giving Musaki a noogie in respose and he said, "Very funny, Saki."

* * *

Next up, Okinawa has a few thoughts about his birth parents!


	21. Okinawa's Thoughts

Okinawa gives his thoughts on his birth parents after Musaki told him everything about them.

* * *

Chapter 21: Okinawa's Thoughts

Okinawa thought it was better to just take a little trip towards that graveyard Musaki was at and wanted to see their parents' tombstones and as he entered the graveyard, he felt a little nervous about seeing their tombs in person because it's been a long time since he wanted to know much more about them and the fact that he's actually gonna look at their grave for the first time ever.

As he walked across the grave, there were so many questions racing through his mind that he wanted to say or just feel like he needed to talk to them and as he walked towards this direction, he sees the two tombstones of them and he takes a shaky breath and stood there for a few minutes until he realizes the reality that it's really their parents tombstone. He walked closely towards the tombstones and takes a closer look at it and the overwhelming feeling of coming face to face with them has become bigger.

But Okinawa wasn't one to back out on anything, even it's one of the most difficult challenges he'd ever face and he knelt down on his knees and looked at his mom and dad's grave and swallowed the nerves inside of him and lets out a lot of words that he would say to them.

"Mom...dad...looks like this is the first time I'm actually talking to you guys. I really don't know what to really say...but this is Okinawa. Okinawa Sosuke Bushido-Akio here. I know you guys might not know this, but this is really me. Anyways, I just thought I'd come here and say a few words to you guys, if you're listening of course. I'm actually doing just fine. Things with me and my adopted dad, Azuko...are doing great. All these years I've always wanted to know about what my family looks like and it turns out...that it was here the entire time." Okinawa said.

He blinked his eyes a few times and felt a little bit of their presence around him, then keeps looking at the grave and he said, "When Azuko told me how you guys died, I was really devastated because I felt like I'm never gonna get a chance to meet you in person. But...when I found out that Musaki is my little brother, I thought it was just a joke or someone's pulling a fast one...but as the days went on, I could see that it's all real. From my grandparents and younger twin brothers. It just got me curious thinking I might not be the only panda. If you guys were here right now, I would tell you how much I really appreciated you guys for what you did for me and that I love you for it. I'm 21 years old now and I'm a mixed marital arts fighter/volunteer teacher at this MMA gym. Man, you guys would be very proud of me for all the accomplishments I've done in training and teaching. That would make my day...and that would be my wish...to see you guys in person."

Everything in Okinawa's mind was racing so fast that it almost placed him in tears and he lowered his head down for a few seconds before raising it up again with tears coming down on his face and he said, in a tearful voice, "If it wasn't for what you've done...I wouldn't be here right now and I'm very proud to be your son. I just hope I can be just like you guys."

Okinawa cried softly, totally unaware that Oak Sung and Musaki slowly walked right behind him along with Okinawa's other friends coming by and Oak placed a hand on Okinawa's shoulder and he said, "You already have, Oki. And I know that your parents would be so proud of you for becoming the young man that you are now."

Okinawa turned around and saw his grandfather standing there and he wiped his tears a few times and he said, "You really think so?"

"I know so." Oak replied.

With that, Okinawa quickly hugged his grandfather deeply and every ounce of love was pouring out of him so deeply like he was crying tears of happiness and joy that was kept for years and Musaki could relate to that so easily because he understands what it feels like.

Okinawa turns his attention to Musaki and he comes to him and said, "Now I fully accept you as my little brother."

"We're Bushido-Akio's. We're all one strong, always and forever." Musaki said, with a smile.

The two fully hugged each other in embrace and it was a beautiful sight for Oak to see; watching two brothers come together and that tugged everyone's heartstrings...including Sora's. Sora started crying after witnessing this and Aang elbowed the tiger and Sora said, "What? It's just so beautiful."

Aang comes closer to Okinawa and he said, "Group hug!"

One-by-one, Okinawa's friend piled in for the huge group hug, in which Musaki and Okinawa graciously accept and they know that their brotherhood will be the start of something amazing.

* * *

You think this was the last chapter, right? Guess again!


	22. Zora's Revenge

And we end with a cliffhanger!

* * *

Chapter 22: Zora's Revenge

Zora was fueled with ultimate rage and the thought of losing Willow to Okinawa started to get in his skin and he refuses to let Willow fall for him because he believes she can do better than fall for him and he sees her as the best thing he's ever had. Unfortunately, all it resulted was a toxic violent relationship where he targets Willow each time she's through with him.

And in one point, something snapped inside that lion's mind and all he wanted was to gain revenge against Okinawa and since he knows that she's with him now, he's gonna do whatever it takes to cut Willow's happiness short and also go after Okinawa as well.

Zora lets out a very furious growl as he walked towards his room, kicks it open and goes to his treasure chest filled with weapons, each involving a knife, sword and multiple weapons to use to actually kill Willow and he wanted to save it unless he went completely violent and for Zora, it seems like the time has come.

"If I can't have you...I'll be sure that no one else will too. You just wait, Willow. If it's the last thing I do, I will end your life...and that goes for Okinawa too." Zora said, in a very angry and threatening tone as he holds out his knife and dagger ready to do the unthinkable.

"You will regret the day that you stole Willow from me, Okinawa. Mark my (bleep)ing words."

* * *

And this will be told in 'Panda Brothers: Part IV; the Epic Finale!


End file.
